Yukon Bay - call of the Canadian wild
Yukon Bay - eye to eye with polar bears
North American wanderlust
With Yukon Bay, a piece of the Canadian wild and its gold rush romanticism has been placed right here in Hanover. Follow the Yukon trail through a centuries old tunnel, into wolf territory and finally come upon the small harbour town that has sprung up around the eponymous Yukon Bay.
Welcome to the Canadian wilderness
The trail to Yukon Bay is an arduous track through the harsh Canadian wilderness, but adventure beckons and the promise of gold has proven irresistable to many.
Through the old prospector's tunnel, where barely a grain of gold has been left and the wooden supports become ever more crooked, the trail leads out into the taiga. Here is the domain of caribous and bisons, grazing on a clearing in the woods - ever watchful for the wolves lurking in ravines nearby.
Underwater views
Polar bears inhabit the bay, often seen close to the docks of the town.
These majestic bears have found a perfect home in Yukon Bay. Rocky ravines offer them hiding spots and opportunities to scratch their backs, sandy shores invite to dig. High trees and rocky ledges provide shade on sunny days- and ocean waves make swimming and diving a joy.
To watch the polar bears dive, one must dare to enter Yukon Bay's biggest attraction: Captain Henry's underwater world deep in the stranded ship's rusty bowels.
The world's north-most penguin zoo
What was once a mere collection of gold diggers' tents along the coastline has quickly turned into a genuine harbour town, full of colorful wooden houses, general goods stores and lumber mills. Cargo ships used to come and go but now, the mighty Yukon Queen is permanently moored at the docks, run aground and stuck in the too-small harbour, tilted at ever steeper angles.
Once, the Yukon Queen was Captain Henry Charter's ship, running the long trade route between Canada and South Africa.
When the ship ran aground in Yukon Bay, Charters made the gold rush town his permanent home. Marooned with him: his life cargo, crates full of South African penguins! Resolved to make the best of his situation, wily Captain Henry promptly declared his beached ship full of penguins the world's north-most penguin zoo, open to all visitors.
Witness a spectacular romp as seals chase through the wet docks
Ship ahoy! Twice a day, visitors have the chance to witness our seal show. Here, zookeepers are proud to show off all the wet dock's denizens' many talents. Sea lion, sea bear and gray seals are all involved!
Their wild chase through the port basin is quite a sight to behold. But make sure to stay seated - or the bald eagle swooping down from overhead might just give you a new hairstyle.
Yukon Market Hall's grill and buffet
Canadian market hall
The gold rush town's former fish processing hall has been converterted to a bristling market. Fresh specialties and artisanal ice cream await inside.
For you to enjoy:
- Giant beef burger
- Chicken nuggets
- French fries
- Freshly baked or grilled fish
- Refreshing salad buffet
- Ice cream freshly made in-house
Did you know?
Yukon Market Hall is opened throughout the year.
Our conservation efforts
Polar Bears International
Hanover Adventure Zoo has been involved with tracking polar bears in Hudson Bay since 2008. Our partner, animal protection org Polar Bears International fits wild polar bears with GPS collars to research their movement and habitats. This helps to establish protective zones for these endangered animals.
Ocean Waste - it's time to act
An exhibition in the Yukon Queen's hull raises awareness of one of the most pressing issues related to the world's oceans: plastic trash. Enormeous amounts of plastic waste are produced every day, and much of it ends up in the ocean. Animals eat plastic and die, beaches are littered with garbage. Plastic's resiliance to decomposition makes it a huge problem for both animals and humans.
